Banner Online News

By Our Reporter

Residents of Asaba, Ibusa (Igbuzo) and Ogwashi-Uku have erupted in anger over what they describe as the near-total collapse of electricity supply, accusing Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) of gross incompetence and utter neglect.

Across the Delta State capital and neighbouring towns, prolonged blackouts and erratic supply have become the norm, grinding businesses to a halt, wrecking household routines and forcing residents to bankroll survival with generators, candles and frustration. The verdict from the streets is unanimous: BEDC has failed, spectacularly.

Speaking for the growing chorus of outrage, the Delta State Chairman of the Association of Community Newspaper Publishers of Nigeria (ACNPN), Comrade Ike Philip Abiagom, said residents are “miffed” by what he called BEDC’s shocking inability to provide the most basic public service.

“BEDC has thrown the entire state into darkness and simply folded its arms,” Abiagom said, slamming the company for what he described as an unprofessional, insensitive posture that leaves paying customers stranded. “Subscribers who have settled their bills are punished daily for the company’s incompetence.”

He faulted BEDC for its silence in the face of widespread suffering, noting that the distribution company has neither offered explanations nor issued a public apology despite weeks of crippling outages affecting millions.

The impact has been brutal. Small and medium-scale businesses are bleeding, artisans have shut their shops, and families are drowning in the rising cost of alternative power, all in an economy already under strain. For residents, BEDC’s failure is no longer an inconvenience; it is an assault on livelihoods.

With public anger boiling over, stakeholders are now demanding decisive action from the Delta State Government. They are urging authorities to dust off and complete abandoned Independent Power Projects, with particular attention to the Okpai Independent Power Plant Phase 2, widely seen as a critical lifeline to boost generation and stabilise supply.

Residents insist that reliable electricity is not a luxury but a foundation for jobs, investment, security and basic human dignity. They are calling on government to show backbone, confront the power mess head-on and ensure Delta State is not condemned to perpetual darkness.

As patience evaporates in Asaba, Ibusa and Ogwashi-Uku, the message is blunt and unmistakable: enough excuses. Enough darkness. Either electricity is restored, or BEDC’s failure will remain a damning symbol of how not to serve the public.